Heartless

Chapter 8: Kiss A Princess

The shot ricocheted throughout the building, wrapping around my head and filling my ears, I froze, and the ice packs I was currently handing to the awaking Candor and Dauntless tumbled from my grip.

My eyes filled with tears; there could only be one reason for that gunshot.

I picked up Evie and rushed to the room which Eric was left in, irrationally the tears had already began to fall, but there was nothing rational about any of this.

Dauntless poured from the double doors, pushing into my shoulders, their elbows knocking into my ribs, whooping into the air. I easily spotted my brother, who's eyes grazed mine before looking away, and I knew.

Shaking my head I pushed past the last of the Dauntless. Stopping at the doorway, and taking a deep breath, I pushed open the door and tentatively took a step inside, my breaths echoing in the room, my eyes darting around the Dauntless traitors laying on the floor, some where familiar, but most weren't, none so far was the tall, muscular man I was looking for.

That's where I saw him, slumped on the floor, facing away from me; only identifiable by the slicked back hair with short sides.

My stomach dropped. My legs gave way and I knelt by the body, and gently turned him over, attempting not to heave as his head rolled inhumanly. "Oh, god, Eric." I mumbled, my hands resting on each side of his face, my thumb running along the length of his cheekbone, anything to avoid the bullet wound in the centre of his chest.

The bullet my brother put there.

A sob escaped my body, tearing its way through, as I closed my eyes in a failed attempt to stop the tears falling. I wished that this was just some nightmare, some serum-induced simulation, something I could manipulate my way out of.

"Fucking hell."

I wiped my tears and stared at Eric, who's face was twisted into a grimace of pain, wordlessly, I leant down and kissed him like I've wanted to do in a very, very long time.

"Sash?" He said, rolling over slightly, and trying to reach me, causing the material of the cuffs to rattle "you're alive, you and the baby are alive, and unhurt?"

Carefully, I sat him up so he could see Evie in her sling, his eyes went wide and the smile replaced the grimace despite the pain he was in, "this is our daughter, Eric, Evie Coulter."

He went to reach for her, before being restrained by the cuffs, so instead he leant his head against hers, whispering something I couldn't hear.

"Eric, I thought you were dead." I whispered once he'd looked up.

"I don't know how, and I goddamn don't know why, but I'm here, and I'm not leaving yours or Evie's side."

"Neuro-Stim dart, mixed with paralytic serum." My brothers voice echoed into the empty room, I spun around to see him walk in with my bags, no Tris or other Dauntless following him- the newly appointed leader. An honourable Dauntless.

Smothering Tobias in a hug, I whispered "thank you." Tobi nodded, and unlocked Eric's cuffs, "here." He stated, shrugging off his jacket and holding it out to Eric, "you're not gonna be able to take two steps outside this room in that jacket."

Eventually, he shed his jacket, revealing a tight dark blue t-shirt soaked with blood around his abdomen.

"That needs seeing too." Tobi added "take your shirt off."

"Are you asking me to undress, Four?" Eric smirked.

Tobias rolled his eyes as he pulled the medical box from my bag "don't make me wish I shot you with the real thing, asshole."